Better Berries to Fight Cancer

The next time you toss a handful of berries into your morning smoothie, reach for freeze-dried instead of fresh or frozen. Science now indicates that freeze-dried berries, specifically black raspberries, inhibit cancer development by restoring hundreds of cancer-altered genes to their normal state.

“There are certain genes that play a role in the development of cancer, and while most cancer treatments only target one gene at a time, the berries have a ‘genome-wide’ effect, meaning they target many cancer-causing genes at once,” says lead researcher Gary D. Stoner, professor of pathology, human nutrition, and medicine at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Berries are about 90 percent water and freeze-drying them removes the water while leaving the structure intact. This concentrates the cancer-preventive compounds—vitamins, minerals, phenols, and phytosterols—about 10 times, explains Stoner. He adds that fresh and frozen berries are probably protective as well, but we’d have to eat a lot more of them to get the same benefits. Also, keep in mind that some nutrients are lost when fruit is heated or cooked, so it’s best to eat your berries (freeze-dried or fresh) just as they are.

We like: Just Tomatoes Etc.’s variety of organic dried berries, including Organic Just Raspberries ($5.50, 1.5 oz tub; justtomatoes.com), or Wilderness Family Naturals freeze-dried organic raspberries in either whole or powdered form. ($22.45 to $18.50, 8 oz whole or powdered; wildernessfamilynaturals.com).

Natural Solutions: Vibrant Health, Balanced Living offers its readers the latest news on health conditions, herbs and supplements, natural beauty products, healing foods and conscious living. Click here for a free sample issue.

By Lindsay Wilson, Natural Solutions magazine

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

KS G.

1:42AM PST on Nov 21, 2010

Thanks for the article.

send a green star

Maryam A.

12:22AM PST on Feb 2, 2010

good job ! great arcticle. thank you so much for the info !!

Rosemary R.

8:01PM PST on Feb 1, 2010

Jana thank you for this insightful and most helpful information. Freeze dried who would have guessed... not sure where I can obtain freeze dried, most likely at health food stores. Honestly my preference is for fresh berries :-)

Sandra S.

10:35AM PST on Feb 1, 2010

Cancer runs very deep in my family and this article was very helpful. I shared this with my aunt too!! Thank You!

Linda J.

9:23AM PST on Feb 1, 2010

I LOVE THIS ARTICLE IT IS SO INROMATIVE AND IS SO INSPIRING.THANKS

Laurie W.

7:29AM PST on Feb 1, 2010

Great article.

Natalie D.

3:50AM PST on Feb 1, 2010

Great post, thank you so much for the info !!

Thubten C.

8:56AM PST on Jan 31, 2010

Thanks for the article, Jana. I'll be on the lookout for freeze-dried berries from now on.

7:54AM PST on Jan 31, 2010

Thanks for the very valuable information!
I have raspberry,blackberry. And mullberry trees
I freeze some for the winter.I planted them from Seeds in big buckets .

Claudia L.

11:13AM PST on Jan 30, 2010

this is very good info thanks